The Home Ministry revealed that over RM2 million was spent to contain the one-day Bersih rally.
KUALA LUMPUR: Police spent a whopping RM2 million and used 11,000 policemen to contain the Bersih rally on July 9.
This was revealed by the Home Ministry in a written reply to a question posed by Seputeh MP, Teresa Kok, in Parliament.
The total cost to contain the “illegal” assembly which saw thousands of people taking to the streets was RM2, 018, 850.06.
“PDRM had to make preparations which included expenditure for additional fittings, food and drinks, lodging and other logistic needs,” Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said in explaining the expenditures.
The Bersih 2.0 rally was to seek free and fair elections. Police fired tear gas and water cannons on some 50,000 demonstrators according to Bersih’s estimations, resulting in nearly 1,700 arrests and scores of others injured.
Kok also enquired about the number of policemen that were deployed in the Klang Valley from the July 6 till 9.
The Home Ministry stated that policemen came from all over the country to help the Kuala Lumpur police contingent.
The number of policemen on duty that day in the Klang Valley were 11,046 with an additional of 2,600 officers on stand-by.
There were numerous complaints of police high-handedness during the rally. One such prominent example is the Tung Shin hospital incident where police were accused of firing tear-gas and spraying water cannon directly into the hospital compound.
The police had set up three special committees to look into such allegations; however, they have yet to release their reports.
Electoral reforms
The government’s response to the rally was heavily criticised as over-zealous and aggressive by the international community.
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was forced to go on an extensive damage control measures, including making key concessions in a bid to recoup lost support from Malaysia’s huge chunk of fence-sitters.
Among them is the setting up of the parliamentary select committee (PSC) to look into cleaning up Malaysia’s election system but voters have greeted the move warily after he failed to promise the implementation of reforms before the 13th general election is held.
Najib is likely call for snap polls within the next six months.
The PSC, which held its first meeting this morning, will have six months to do its job and make recommendations on ways to improve the electoral process.
Putrajaya said the setting up of the panel was not an admission that the electoral system was flawed but was done in good will and to prevent any accusations of bias against the Election Commission in the future.
Bersih wants detailed breakdown
In an immediate reaction, Bersih steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah said that a more transparent expenditure breakdown was needed.
“(Home Ministry) said that they spent RM2 million on food expenditure and others but I think a more transparent breakdown is needed on where the money went,” she told FMT.
Asked if the money spent was justified, she merely shrugged, saying that the police force was there to protect the people.
“But I think they spent more on suppressing the people more than food expenditure”.
KUALA LUMPUR: Police spent a whopping RM2 million and used 11,000 policemen to contain the Bersih rally on July 9.This was revealed by the Home Ministry in a written reply to a question posed by Seputeh MP, Teresa Kok, in Parliament.
The total cost to contain the “illegal” assembly which saw thousands of people taking to the streets was RM2, 018, 850.06.
“PDRM had to make preparations which included expenditure for additional fittings, food and drinks, lodging and other logistic needs,” Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said in explaining the expenditures.
The Bersih 2.0 rally was to seek free and fair elections. Police fired tear gas and water cannons on some 50,000 demonstrators according to Bersih’s estimations, resulting in nearly 1,700 arrests and scores of others injured.
Kok also enquired about the number of policemen that were deployed in the Klang Valley from the July 6 till 9.
The Home Ministry stated that policemen came from all over the country to help the Kuala Lumpur police contingent.
The number of policemen on duty that day in the Klang Valley were 11,046 with an additional of 2,600 officers on stand-by.
There were numerous complaints of police high-handedness during the rally. One such prominent example is the Tung Shin hospital incident where police were accused of firing tear-gas and spraying water cannon directly into the hospital compound.
The police had set up three special committees to look into such allegations; however, they have yet to release their reports.
Electoral reforms
The government’s response to the rally was heavily criticised as over-zealous and aggressive by the international community.
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was forced to go on an extensive damage control measures, including making key concessions in a bid to recoup lost support from Malaysia’s huge chunk of fence-sitters.
Among them is the setting up of the parliamentary select committee (PSC) to look into cleaning up Malaysia’s election system but voters have greeted the move warily after he failed to promise the implementation of reforms before the 13th general election is held.
Najib is likely call for snap polls within the next six months.
The PSC, which held its first meeting this morning, will have six months to do its job and make recommendations on ways to improve the electoral process.
Putrajaya said the setting up of the panel was not an admission that the electoral system was flawed but was done in good will and to prevent any accusations of bias against the Election Commission in the future.
Bersih wants detailed breakdown
In an immediate reaction, Bersih steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah said that a more transparent expenditure breakdown was needed.
“(Home Ministry) said that they spent RM2 million on food expenditure and others but I think a more transparent breakdown is needed on where the money went,” she told FMT.
Asked if the money spent was justified, she merely shrugged, saying that the police force was there to protect the people.
“But I think they spent more on suppressing the people more than food expenditure”.
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